ICU sedation, delirium & recovery
Sodium Bicarbonate for Acute Metabolic Acidosis in Critically Ill Adults: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials
Pooled result · RRT useResult — go to the resultRelative risk 0.69 95% CI 0.61–0.78Authors' conclusion
In critically ill adults with acute metabolic acidosis, sodium bicarbonate significantly reduces RRT requirement, with Bayesian analyses suggesting a possibility of mortality benefit, although current evidence remains inconclusive.
Study context
- Population
- Critically ill adults with acute metabolic acidosis
- Participants
- 1,111 adults · 4 randomized controlled trials (RCTs)
- Comparison
- Sodium bicarbonate vs placebo
- Outcome
- RRT
Methodological detailsHartung-Knapp random-effects, trial sequential analysis, Bayesian sensitivity analysis
- Hartung-Knapp random-effects
- Trial sequential analysis
- Bayesian sensitivity analysis
Pooled result
RRT use
Relative risk
0.69
95% CI 0.61–0.78
Sodium bicarbonate vs Placebo
RR 0.69 (95% CI 0.61–0.78)
As reported in the abstract
- Bayesian posterior probability of reduced renal replacement therapy (RRT) use
- 94.6%
Further pooled results
| Outcome | RR (95% CI) | |
|---|---|---|
| MortalityNonsignificant trend; TSA: inconclusive | 0.84 (0.55–1.30) | |
| 0.512Relative risk (log scale) |
- Mortality — Bayesian posterior probability of any mortality reduction (RR < 1)
- 90.4%
ICU LOS, ventilator-free days, vasopressor-free days
- Imprecise, with a trend toward more vasopressor-free days
Original publication
Sodium Bicarbonate for Acute Metabolic Acidosis in Critically Ill Adults: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials. Crit Care Med. Published 22 May 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →